Looking for America

Nationally-known bands Switchfoot and Relient K play at the Vines Center

Liberty University’s Vines Center played host to alternative rock groups Switchfoot and Relient K Thursday night for the Lynchburg leg of the “Looking for America” tour Oct. 20.

“So we’ve been on this tour, ‘Looking for America,’ and it feels like America’s kind of looking for itself right now,” Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman said.

“I love my country, but my hope is not in the United States of America. My hope is without borders. My hope cannot be shot down. My hope is in my maker himself.”

Switchfoot and Relient K kicked off the tour Sept. 17 in Houston, Texas.

The tour brought them to two locations in Virginia, the first being Lynchburg, and the second in Richmond Saturday night.

The tour follows Relient K’s eighth studio album release, “Air for Free,” and Switchfoot’s 10th studio album release “Where the Light Shines Through.” Both were released July of this year.

“We just came out with a record called ‘Where the Light Shines Through,’” Foreman said.

“The way I see it is, we’ve all got wounds, and the full title is ‘The Wound is Where the Light Shines Through.’”

Foreman spoke to the audience of students and fans about themes that are included on the album such as pain and suffering.

“We live in a generation that does not want suffering, which is obvious,” Foreman said. “Who wants to suffer? But in reality, most of the things I’ve learned have come through the hard times, and every single one of these songs was usually written with a little bit of pain involved, or a lot of pain involved.”

Foreman expanded on his message by recounting his flight from a wildfire in San Diego several months ago that nearly burned the band member’s studio and home to the ground.

“You realize how much you worked for these physical objects that mean nothing,” Foreman said.

“Throwing what I could grab from my house in five minutes into the car and driving away with the people I love the most made me realize I didn’t need any of that stuff.”

At one point during the concert, Foreman jumped off the stage to join the crowd.

He walked through crowds of people on the Vines Center floor, hugging and taking selfies with fans.

“The first time I saw (Switchfoot) in concert was at CFAW … like four years ago,” Junior Zack Lazo said.

“Switchfoot literally lives the dream. They surf when they’re not on tour and then they go on tour as rock stars. If you want to aspire to be anything in life, try to be like Switchfoot—men of faith and awesome rock stars.”

Switchfoot and Relient K will be continuing their tour of the U.S. through early December.

They will continue to deliver their music and message to the country and to the fans who find themselves facing the fire, reminding them that there’s always a light that will shine through.

“Nobody wants to walk through the fire — the dangerous parts of our lives, the parts that burn us,” Foreman said.

“If you’re in the middle of the fire — if you’re in the middle of the storm — don’t walk away from the things that scare you. Walk forward. Be brave. The light’s going to shine through.”

Fraticelli is a feature reporter.